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February 23, 2013

Visit to Bowie

Oh, Bowie, how I misjudged thee! Visited your south side a handful
of times, suburban sprawl and chain restaurants. Little did I know you have a charming north side, dotted
with historic places, parks and wetlands.

Yep, we cruised over to Bowie (“Boo-eee”) last week. My previous visits to this
bedroom community about five miles east of the Beltway were to see the AA Giants
at the Bowie Baysox. Always
enjoy going there, a very nice ballpark, but otherwise, not much to write home
about.

When I was planning out this trip, one of
the first things I noticed about Bowie’s Old Town was its shape. The vast majority of towns in our
area are laid out in the grid system. This part of Bowie is too, but it offers several asymmetrical
twists. Lanham-Severn Road runs on a straight line from the Beltway before
making a boomerang-shaped turn that crosses the railroad tracks. The MARC service line (the nearest
stop is at Bowie State) cuts through the center of town, forming a north and
south side. The locals must
love the peace and quiet provided by the no through streets.

Choosing to see the south side first, we parked at the
corner of 11th and Chestnut, the town’s small center of gravity. Steps away are the Visitor’s
Center, Railroad Museum, Old Bowie Town Grille and the Fabian House.

Visitor’s Center

A docent greeted us, a courteous gentleman who
took the time to answer all our questions. The welcome center presents the history of the
town in a most excellent manner.
Published works for sale include, “Town of Bowie, Maryland, 1870-1960,”
and “Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, The Pope’s Creek Branch.” Available gratis is, “The
Historic Town of Bowie, A Self-Guided Tour.”

Also, when we inquired about more information
on Collis Porter Huntington, the docent was kind enough to make a copy of an
article by Stephen Patrick (“Huntington Section of Old Town Bowie Shares a
History with the Transcontinental Railroad).”

When it comes to small towns, or large for that
matter, I’m always interested in how the site was chosen. In Virginia, the basis was often proximity
to the water or an old Indian path.
Bowie’s roots were planted in a different manner. Patrick’s article and the Pope’s
Creek Branch booklet by John M. Wearmouth touch on this. A provision in the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Charter
allowed for a spur line to Washington, as long as the distance was less than 20
miles. The junction of
the spur line to the nation’s capital and a mainline to Southern Maryland
created a crossroad rail community.
Congress granted permission for such a railroad into Washington,
D.C. It opened July 2, 1872.

Huntington Railroad
Museum

In the 1850s, the Bowie family, prominent in
Maryland politics, created the Baltimore and Potomac railroad. The line was laid down after the
Civil War. In 1870,
developer Ben H. Plumb purchased the farmland and laid out the lots. Advertising pamphlets touted the
new town as “Huntington,” named after Collis Porter Huntington. The railroad magnate had
grand designs for a line from New York to Florida, then to San Diego and
finally Sacramento.
Poor financial times in the 1870s wrecked his deal. In 1883, the town asked the
Maryland legislature for a name change. They went with Bowie, named after the family.

Trollies rolled into town starting in
1908. MARC serviced here until 1989, when the
station was dropped and Bowie State University added. The museum opened in 1994.

Shops and Eats

We saw nary a
chain in these parts, and sure didn’t mind. Next door to the welcome center, you can find some good eats
at Old Town Bowie Grill. A bit too
dark on the décor, but friendly service and decent grub.

Ice cream and a
comfy parlor setting await at the Fabian House, a few steps from the main
intersection. The
house was built in 1896 for the Joffe Family who operated the Joffe General
Store.

Pressed for time,
you could skip the other side of the tracks but that would mean missing Mama Cocoa’s
Delights. Lovers of chocolate, we didn’t. Walking in, we spotted Tamarra
Thomas behind the counter, the owner and a Bowie resident, who I had seen
recently on News4. She won the “Sweet Genius” contest on
The Food Network.

There’s a lot more
to see in this part of Prince George’s County, so we really just whet our
appetite. With the chocolate
melting in our mouths, we headed back to Virginia with good thoughts. Bowie, we’re pleased to say, is much more than just a boring
suburb!